The Death Penalty in Taiwan

張貼日期：Jun 26, 2013 5:21:40 AM

Victor Liu

In Taiwan, the abolishment of the death penalty has become one of the important issues. Some say that the death penalty must be abolished because of humanism; others say that it must not be abolished because some sinful criminals have to be punished under the power of law. In my opinion, although lots of countries have already canceled the law, I still believe the death penalty can subject the criminals to the power of justice. I have three main points to support my opinion: the potential risks to civilians, the position of the victims’ families, and the social conditions in Taiwan nowadays.

The first consideration is the danger civilians may face. If an unrepentant criminal is released, people may be in danger in the place where the criminal is around. This will cause a huge sense of insecurity to the civilians and they will also lose faith in the government.

The second consideration is the condition of the victims’ families. If the victim’s families know the criminal who had killed their loved one wasn’t sentenced to death, they must feel really sad and unjust. It is not fair to the family because they can do nothing but accept the fact that the murderer does not get the punishment he deserves.

The last is the social condition in Taiwan nowadays. This is also the most important point to support my argument. Because humanitarianism prevails all over the world, more and more countries abolish the death penalty. According to a study, the crime rate in Taiwan is higher than that of the countries that have abolished the death penalty such as Australia. But, I think we are not ready to cancel this law yet because Taiwan’s crime rate is still too high. It still has a reason to maintain and practice it.

Of course humanitarianism is important because we can see the warm and good side of the people who really care about others’ life. However, I think some people do not deserve forgiveness and mercy, especially the people who kill someone intentionally. Law is not omnipotent; however, with its power, justice can be practiced and people can live a securer life.